Find a Co-op Job
The College of Engineering and the Engineering Co-op & Internship Program have advisers, online tools, and programs to help you find a Co-op job or internship.
We recommend you start your job search with your Engineering Co-op & Internship Account. This tool is used by employers and students mainly for Co-op jobs. If you obtain a co-op (internship) position using your Engineering Co-op & Internship Account, you must register the experience for Co-op credit.
Use All Available Job Search Strategies!
Finding a great co-op job that's right for you means using all the resources available to you— don't limit your job search to just a few tools. As a UW engineering student, you have access to many job search tools:
Attend Employer Events
Find out about events from:
- Engineering Co-op & Internship online calendar
- Your engineering department resources:
- Communications from your advisers and faculty
- Career Center student calendar
- Career fairs:
- SWE Evening with Industry in January
- Civil & Environmental Career Fair in January
- HCDE Career Fair in February
- CSE Affiliates Fairs in October and January
- Science & Engineering Career Fair in October
- Research companies on the web. This kind of research provides you with a plethora of information about the employer, PLUS this is the usually the first place employers post openings and take applications for open positions.
Be Visible: Establish and Maintain Your Presence
- LinkedIn
- Complete your profile as if it is your resume.
- Join groups related to your career focus.
- Make contacts and then make contact with your contacts connections (start with your Co-op adviser).
- Network
- Join a student organization or society related to your major and be ACTIVE in that group.
- Request informational interviews with professionals in your targeted field.
- Talk to friends, family, acquaintances about your job search.
- Attend events such as the annual UW Engineering Networking Night or Exploration Night.
- Help other people network – helping others is often the first step in receiving help.
Be Ready when Opportunity Knocks
Make sure you are comfortable and ready with:
- Telling your story
- Your resume
- Interview skills
- Writing a cover letter
- Follow-up plan
Visit the UW Career Center Site
The UW Career Center site lists campus-wide events such as Evenings with Industry during which employers visit campus to recruit students for both co-op jobs and full-time, entry-level jobs for graduates.
Make Contacts with Professionals in Your Field
Student chapters of discipline-based professional societies also draw potential employers. These include, but are not limited to:
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Institute of Transportation Engineers
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- American Society of Mechanical Engineering
- Civil & Environmental Engineering
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering
- Society for Technical Communication (Puget Sound professional chapter)
- Institute of Industrial Engineers
Check out other resources:
Prepare for Success
Be ready to open the door when opportunity knocks! How? Have a resume ready at all times, and be prepared to interview (with attitude and attire). Find the resume and interview workshops on the Career Center's student calendar. These workshops have made a big difference the success rates of job-seeking students.
If the job qualifies (see below), the hired student can participate in the Engineering Co-op & Internship Program and register in ENGR 321 and ENGR 322. We work with all organizations offering students positions that meet the criteria listed below, and we work with all UW Seattle students hired for qualifying positions:
- 50% engineering related (employer must provide job description)
- Paid experience
- At least (approximately) 3 months in length
Contact Engineering Co-op
Ana Wieman,
Engineering Co-op & Internship Program
(206) 685-1789
330 Loew Hall
wieman@uw.edu
Roy Chan,
Engineering Co-op & Internship Program
(206) 685-0385
336 Loew Hall
engrcoop@uw.edu